Afternoon teas are such an affordable luxury in sunny Singapore, and don’t they just make great escapes from the hectic corporate life? Now, if only they could be a national past time, just like how the Brits do it. From three-tiered tea sets to weekend tea buffets, here are 10 gorgeous places in Singapore to catch up with friends and family in the perfect afternoon tête-à-tête.

Anti:dote

Afternoon tea at Anti:dote is chic and stylish – and it’s at one of the most accessible locations in town. The Anti:dote Tea experience is replete with delicious surprises – start on a high note with a treat of 63°C organic egg with sea urchin and crispy foie gras or an assortment of steam and fried oriental dim sum. Then, launch into a marvellous array of sandwiches, petit desserts, and scones across flavours like smoked salmon, ginger duck rillette, muscat vanilla roulade and A:D strawberry ganache bon bon. Presented in an exquisite white leather jewellery box, munch on them alongside the finest Earl Greys, green teas, and plenty more from TWG. Doesn’t get much fancier than that, does it? Reservations essential.

10 SCOTTS

Indulge in Grand Hyatt’s afternoon tea with a view of their two-storey cascading waterfall at the award-winning 10 SCOTTS, as you pour over locally and internationally-inspired treats semi-buffet style. The spread sees scones, cold cuts, homemade chicken liver pate and indulgent whole cakes to be paired with free-flow TWG teas or coffee. Perhaps, even an upgrade to free-flow Perrier Jouët Grand Brut champagne! For something even more relaxing, pamper you and your loved one with a 75-minute signature personalised massage for two at Damai Spa before heading to 10 SCOTTS for afternoon tea.

Brasserie Les Saveurs, The St. Regis Singapore

Craving an afternoon respite from the bustle of Orchard Road? The St. Regis Singapore is more than welcoming with an elegant afternoon of fine tea and tantalizing pastries.

Take a seat under crystal chandeliers and enjoy the French restaurant’s signature afternoon tea buffet – a lavish spread of classics, delights and desserts, served on a silver two-tiered stand.

From 18 October onwards, have some classic scones or honey madeleines. Ready for more sweet-toothed goodness? Try their Chocolate financier with hazelnut cream! For savoury options, there is the Homemade smoked salmon on blinis or Brioche with Foie Gras to keep you satisfied. Finally, lean back as you sip on the exclusive The St. Regis Singapore Blend by TWG and relax to live music by the hotel’s resident pianist.

The Lobby Lounge, InterContinental Singapore

The elegant Lobby Lounge beautifully encapsulates InterContinental Singapore’s modernity while still maintaining an alluring old-world charm. Set in the heart of the hotel, the sunlight filling the space and live music makes it ideal for enjoying its daily Classic Afternoon Tea: Secret Garden – a three-tiered showcase of exquisite flora-inspired treats like Vanilla tart with passionfruit-verbena coulis, Carrot cake with orange mint mascarpone mousse, Smoked salmon mousse and chrysanthemum mantou bun and Vegetable frittata with saffron aioli.

Available: Daily 2pm – 5pm

Price: $78++ for two persons (coffee and tea-inspired cocktail option available at $108++ for two)

Lobby Lounge, The Westin Singapore

Sip a soothing cup of tea with the picturesque Marina Bay in front of you, and watch the world go by from one of the highest hotel lobbies in Singapore. The Lobby Lounge’s Seafood Afternoon Tea at The Westin Singapore offers you a three-course set. Starting with a whole Lobster Thermidor and freshly shucked oysters, pick from a wide range of savory delights such as the Crab Tartare on Melba Toast and Clam Ceviche Shooter. The refreshed menu also presents an assortment of house-made chocolates, petit cakes and tartlets like the Almond Blueberry Financier, Hazelnut Dacquoise and Yuzu Crunch.

WOOBAR, W Singapore – Sentosa Cove

For a more unique and glamorous afternoon tea experience, head to Sentosa for an idyllic tête-à-tête with your best pals at WOOBAR. Creatively quaint, the menu items come bursting with flavour and are made for sharing – a Scone Bowl comes in classic Blueberry, Cheddar & Ham, Passion Fruit Curd and Black Pepper Sour Cream, or select from dainty treats like Mango ‘Sushi’ with Crushed Pink Peppercorn, Macaroon Pipettes and Mahjong Chocolate. The Instagram moment here, of course, is when these fun culinary creations are served in a standing decorative silver birdcage.

Beach Road Kitchen, JW Marriott Singapore South Beach

The all-day dining space of Beach Road Kitchen at JW Marriott Singapore South Beach – a skip and hop away from folks working in the City Hall area – is sleek and sophisticated, offering visitors an afternoon tea menu infused with Italian flair.

Born in Torino, Italy, Chef Stefano’s vision of afternoon tea gives you a glimpse across the Atlantic through his menu. Look forward to savouries such as Goat Cheese Herb Cupcake and Parmesan Cheese cookie with Truffle Cream, but the highlight is definitely the lightly fluffy OrangeGinger Muffin topped with Smoked Salmon. Those with a sweet tooth will definitely want to check out the dessert table laden with treats like assorted truffles, mango pana cotta, opera cake, and Chef Stefano’s signature tiramisu.

Tea Lounge at Regent Singapore

Afternoon tea in a contemporary colonial garden setting? Here, culinary Olympian Pastry Chef Alex Chong unleashes a magnificent interactive table with chefs sculpting desserts and building edible magic from scratch. Weekdays see a Three-tier Afternoon Tea with seasonal finger sandwiches, signature butter and mixed fruit scones, and a la minute creations such as the Golden Apple (crack it open to find a tangy iced yuzu apple compote with yogurt espuma and olive oil sponge), the Coco-Melon Symphony with bubbling coconut semi-liqueur, melon, and honeydew, and the Dark Chocolate Forest for chocolate lovers. On weekends, come for the High Tea Buffet where the culinary team will deliver contemporary tastes of from western and eastern influences.

Pollen

After taking a long walk to smell the flowers and see the plants at Gardens by the Bay’s renowned Flower Dome, why not hang on to the experience and swing by Pollen for a Botanical-inspired Afternoon Tea? Surround yourself with a lush Mediterranean garden as you nibble on Chef Steve’s six dainty sweet and six savouries, from assorted open-faced Sandwiches, Beetroot hummus crackers and Almond and Grape gazpacho to Mojito Choux, Macarons, and Cinnamon and Pineapple Scones. There is also a selection of refreshing afternoon cocktails, quaintly named, to choose from.

Ron likes cats, films and books. When not day-dreaming about retiring as a full-time cat lady, she usually finds herself taking long bus rides while (spoiler alert) reading up film synopses on Wikipedia.